Jose Felix Diaz is a Republican member of the Florida House of Representatives. He responds to questions from The Congresswatch’s Dare Atoye via e-mail on a number of issues, especially on the issue of constituency projects, which has become a contentious matter in Nigeria.
Que: Do lawmakers in the US enjoy constituency projects and in what way are these projects executed?
Yes. Lawmakers in the United States are able to include constituent projects, also known as earmarks, into their respective budgets. Our budget is divided in various areas, like Education, Transportation, Economic Development, etc. In order to qualify as an earmark, a project must fit into one of these areas. If it does, and the budget item is approved, those monies are managed and distributed by the respective department.
Que: Are these projects executed directly by the executive or under the supervision of the lawmakers?
The above referenced projects are administered exclusively by the executive. As legislators, we can interject if a project is being ignored or if monies are not being paid. That often happens. There are times when a specific staff member at an agency is being obstructive and I have to get involved in order to expedite the project.
Que: What is the strategy of funding the projects and how are these projects captured by budget?
The strategy for these projects varies depending on the type of project. First of all, we do give priorities to projects that have a state-wide impact. If a project in my district provides services to the whole state, then it takes priority over purely local projects.
These projects are typically treated as individual items in our annual budget. That gives the governor the ability to line-item veto, or remove certain projects from our budget.
Que: Do lawmakers in the US face public pressure in terms of direct demands from the constituents/people requesting money to augment school fees, feeding, support events etc?
Absolutely. Even though our budget is fairly larger, there is still an overwhelming amount of constituents and local groups that either get money in the budget or want to get money in the budget. That is why you have to be very precise about the criteria that your body sets up for allocating funds for these types of projects. Consistent is key.
Que: Do you use part of your allowances/salary to provide public service?
Our public salary is quite low. But we do have a separate stipend which helps us run our constituent services. I also rely a lot on interns to help supplement our robust constituents programs.
Que: How difficult or easy for young Americans to win party primaries?
It is difficult for young Americans to win party primaries but it still happens all the time. We have a fairly young legislature and that is partly because of how effective knocking on doors has become in our districts. Sometimes, the younger you are, the more time and energy you have to give back to your campaign and your constituents.
